For a variety of reasons, a relatively small space such as a room may require heat. This heat may be in addition to that furnished from existing air treatment systems. One way to provide additional heat is with an electric portable heater. One type of such space heaters is a relatively small, sometimes floor-standing, heater that is configured to run on premises distribution circuits, that is, normal household and business wiring.
Heaters of various types may emit heat by radiation, convection, or conduction. A non-radiative electric heater may, for example, have one or more heating elements that release heat at comparatively low energy to raise the temperature of a quantity of air. Such heaters may then blow that heated air into a space using one or more fans or other circulation-promoting apparatus, so that a significant proportion of the heating performed by such heaters involves mixing heated air into ambient air, while direct radiation of heat may represent a secondary characteristic of such heaters.
Typical radiative electric heaters, by contrast, may release the majority of their heat in the form of infrared radiation emitted by one or more heating elements operated at comparatively high energy levels. Such heating elements typically combine infrared radiative heating of objects in the path of the radiation with a small amount of direct heating of the intervening air. Other heater types may combine these modes.
While some styles of heaters emit their heat from a front side only, the radiative heating elements within such front-radiating heaters typically radiate uniformly in all directions. As a consequence, it may be desirable to use an infrared reflector to redirect heating element radiation that would otherwise radiate upward, downward, or toward the rear of the heater so that as much of the heat as is practical may be directed out the front.
Radiative heaters may also have fans or other air circulation devices, which circulation devices may promote uniform heating of spaces in which the heaters are installed, may minimize temperature rise in the heater, and may improve the effectiveness of thermostat devices used as part of the heaters to maintain equilibrium temperature in a heated space.
In some instances, it may be desirable for a radiative heater to provide infrared heating that is focused in a general direction, such as generally in front of the heater, but diffused over a range in that direction to provide heat over a large area.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a radiative heater that can promote diffusion of heat through a broad region generally centered on the front of the heater.